NEEMIA: REPAIRING BREAKS, BUILDING WALLS
I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU TODAY A LITTLE OF NEEMIA HISTORY AND HOW IT APPLIES IN OUR SPIRITUAL LIFE:
Nehemiah was a common man, however, God-fearing and had taken a job as butler of King Artaxerxes, king of Persia - Nehemiah 1:11. He was an important, trusted position, an influential advisor highly respected by the king. That was the condition of Nehemiah, a good job in difficult times.
Despite his important position, this was not enough for him, as his mission was much greater. Not happy, pleased with a good job, because her mind was starting to get busy with something different, with her hometown and her people.
Nehemiah was descended from a large number of Jews who were taken into captivity by the Babylonians, who were later defeated by the Persians; This is why Nehemiah is serving a Persian king. During the time of Babylonian captivity, the city of Jerusalem had undergone a terrible destruction. However, when the Babylonians were defeated 70 years later, a group of 50,000 Jews returned to Judea and rebuilt the temple with the help of Ezra. Then an effort to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem was thwarted by opposition from neighboring peoples who had persuaded King Artaxerxes to issue the decree to halt the work.
In the first chapter of his book, verse 3, Nehemiah quotes that he heard that "the walls of Jerusalem are broken down, and their gates are burned." The news filled Nehemiah with sadness, he cared about his people, the Will of his God. He cared about his city, his vision was not only about his life, his job, but he cared about others.
When he heard the situation in Jerusalem, where everything was in great misery and unprotected, he immediately said:
"I sat down and wept, and I mourned for a few days; and I fasted and prayed before the God of heaven" - Nehemiah 1: 4
He might have been quiet in this butler's craft, after all, he had everything he needed, he was guaranteed, but he was born to fulfill a much more important role.
What we have learned here: Your true work is what you were born to do, this is your purpose. God's purpose is to love Him especially, one another, and to serve one another.
Your job is what you do only until you are ready to fulfill your vision and God's purpose.
God had placed in the heart of Nehemiah the vision of the rebuilding of the walls, He himself said, "I have not told anyone (yet) what my God had put in my heart to do in Jeerusalem" Nehemiah 2:12
God bothers us to work for Him, for His people, for others, for His Kingdom. This vision will bother you until you begin to act in God's favor. In Nehemiah 2: 1 - There was sadness before the King, Nehemiah was doing very well in his job until he heard about the walls of Jerusalem and was sad, so came to him the idea of rebuilding it. He presented himself to God and prayed about the situation, and God told him deep in his heart to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the walls. So it is us, we may be well at our job, but we may be sad when we see that our family it's not good, our marriage, our children are bad, our financial life needs rebuilding, the way is to pray to God and ask for direction, to do something beyond the human sphere. But for the people around us, that is, there will always be a greater vision from God.
This was an awkward sight in Nehemiah's life. Your desire to do the work of your life then began to interfere with your job.
We can also be happy and well placed with our work, sadder to know situations that weigh on our hearts and that need to be rebuilt. We often need to repair gaps, rebuild walls, and on this path, be alert to the enemy ambushes of our souls who constantly try to stop our work, our purpose.
King Artaxerxes said to Nehemiah, "Why is your face sad, if you are not sick? It must be sorrow of the heart."
But if God gives you this vision of rebuilding something that is fallen and confirming it in your heart, nothing can stop it if God has by your side.
If God speaks in your conscience and touches your heart to build, start, rehabilitate, help, invest, create or manufacture something, then it will bother you deep down, you will be sad to fulfill the vision, so you live for sure. : "I will not be satisfied until you complete this vision of mine"
Nehemiah's purpose was speaking louder in his heart: was his real job making him uncomfortable to stay at his current job? He knew he had to do harm.
God wants us to be able to go beyond simply focusing only on our job. God's vision is always broader for our lives, to rebuild relationships, rehabilitate people, help each other.
This is the vision of the Kingdom of God, expanding our efforts for brothers in Christ.
Do you know what you really want from life? We are at the center of God's purpose.
Often we, in a selfish view, want to focus on ourselves, our own interests, and we forget the interests of our Creator YHWH. God always asks us more, something collective, the world around needs your help and your collaboration
What you want?
There has to be a greater purpose to life than the things we accumulate. That something bigger is just God's purpose that will fill us
In Luke 12:15 Jesus said, "A man's life does not consist in the quantity of his goods."
There is something more important to life than trophies we like to collect, like cars, home, family, children.
In order for us to be completely satisfied, you need to be in touch with the values and priorities of God's Kingdom, something that has greater power and lasting joy than you can, something that causes lives to be transformed through your effort, work in progress. in favor of others that are finalized.
Jesus the King of Kings is asking these questions today: what do you want out of life?
We need to be able to respond.
God always puts in our hearts His will through the events around us.
God effects the will and the fulfillment ...
BELOW: PROOF OF TEXTS SUMMARY HERE.
NEEMIAH 1: 1-11
Nehemiah, knowing the sad state of Jerusalem, prays to God
1 The words of Nehemiah the son of Hagaliah. And it came to pass in the month of Kishlev, in the twentieth year, when I was in Shushan the fortress;
2 That came Hanani, one of my brethren, he and some of Judah; And I asked them about the Jews that had escaped, that were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.
3 And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great misery and contempt; and the wall of Jerusalem was rented and its gates burned with fire.
4 And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for a few days. and I have been fasting and praying before the God of heaven.
5 And he said, Ah! LORD God of heaven, great and terrible God! Who keeps the covenant and kindness to those who love him and keep his commandments;
6 Therefore let your ears and your eyes be open to hear the prayer of your servant, which I pray to you this day and night for the children of Israel your servants. I make confession for the sins of the children of Israel which we have committed against you. My father's house and I, too, have sinned.
7 We are corrupt against you, and keep not the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou hast commanded Moses thy servant.
8 Remember therefore the word which thou commanded Moses thy servant, saying, Ye shall transgress, and I will scatter you among the peoples.
9 And ye shall be converted unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; then, though your outcasts are at the extremity of heaven, I will gather them from thence, and bring them to the place which I have chosen to dwell there my name.
10 They are your servants and your people whom you have redeemed with your great strength and with your strong hand.
11 Ah! Lord, let your ears be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants, who desire to fear your name; and make your servant prosper today, and give him favor in the sight of this man. So I was the king's butler.
NEH 2: 1-20
Artaxerxes allows Nehemiah to go to Jerusalem and build the walls
1 And it came to pass in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of king Artaxerxes, that wine was set before him, and I took the wine, and gave it to the king; but I had never been sad before him.
2 And the king said unto me, Why is thy face sad, because thou art not sick? This is nothing but heartache; so I was very afraid.
3 And he said unto the king, Long live the king! How could my face not be sad when the city, the place of my fathers' graves, is desolate, and its gates are consumed with fire?
4 And the king said unto me, What wilt thou ask me now? So I prayed to the God of heaven,
5 And he said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant be accepted in thy presence, I pray thee, send me to Judah, to the city of the tombs of my fathers, that I may build it again.
6 Then said the king unto me, while the queen sat with him, How long shall thy journey last, and when shall thou return? And it pleased the king to send me, and I pointed to him a while.
7 And he said unto the king, If it seems good unto the king, let me give letters unto the governors beyond the river, that they may pass me until I come to Judah.
8 And a letter to Asaph, the king's forest keeper, to give me wood to cover the gates of the house, to the city wall, and to the house into which I shall come. And the king gave, according to the good hand of God upon me.
9 Then I went to the governors beyond the river, and gave them the king's letters. and the king had sent with me captains of the army and horsemen.
10 And hearing that Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant greatly displeased them that any man should seek the good of the children of Israel.
11 And I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days.
12 And I arose in the night, I and a few men with me, and told no man what my God put in my heart to do at Jerusalem; and there was no animal with me but the one on which it was mounted.
13 And I went out by night into the gate of the valley, and into the fountain of the dragon, and into the gate of the dunghill, and beheld the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken, and their gates, which had been consumed with fire.
14 And I went to the fountain gate and the king's pool. and there was no place for the animal on which to ride.
15 And I went up by the stream by night, and beheld the wall; And turning, I entered through the gate of the valley. so I came back.
16 And the magistrates knew not where I went, nor what I did; For neither the Jews, nor the priests, nor the nobles, nor the magistrates, nor those who did the work, had ever declared anything.
17 Then said he unto them, Ye see ye the misery that we are in, that Jerusalem is desolate, and its gates are burned with fire; Come, then, and let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and let us not be a reproach.
18 Then I told them how the hand of my God had favored me, and the words of the king which he had spoken to me. Then said they, Let us rise, and build. And they strove their hands for good.
19 And hearing that Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the Ammonite servant, and Geshem the Arab mocked us, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? Do you want to rebel against the king?
20 And I answered them, and said, The God of heaven shall prosper us: and we his servants shall rise and build; but you have no part, no righteousness, no memory in Jerusalem.
And the walls began to be restored ...
NEHEMIAH 4: 1-23
The enemies intend to slow down the building of the walls
1 And it came to pass, when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, that he burned with anger, and was very wroth. and mocked the Jews.
2 And he spake in the presence of his brethren, and of the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews do? Will you allow them this? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish it in one day? Shall the stones that were burned live out of the heaps of dust?
3 And Tobias the Ammonite was with him, and said, Though they build, yet a fox come, he shall easily break down his wall of stone.
4 Hear, O our God, that we are so despised, and turn his reproach upon his head, and cast them for a prey in the land of captivity.
5 And do not cover their iniquity, and let not their sin be drawn from before you, because they have angered you before the builders.
6 But we built the wall, and the whole wall was shut in half. For the hearts of the people were inclined to work.
7 And it came to pass, when hearing Sanballat and Tobiah, and the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem began to grow, and the breaches were beginning to close, they were very angry.
8 And they joined one another to war against Jerusalem, to turn them from their purpose.
9 But we prayed to our God, and set a watch against them day and night for their sakes.
10 Then said Judah, The forces of the bearers have faded, and the dust is very much, and we will not be able to build the wall.
11 And our enemies said, They shall know nothing of this, neither shall they see, until we come into their midst, and kill them; thus we will cause the work to cease.
12 And it came to pass, when the Jews that dwelt among them came, ten times unto us, saying, They will return against us from all places.
13 Then I put guards in the low places behind the wall and in the high places; And I set the people for their families with their swords, and with their spears, and with their bows.
14 And I looked, and arose, and said unto the nobles, and the rulers, and to the remnant of the people, Fear not them; Remember the great and terrible LORD, and fight for your brethren, your children, your wives, and your houses.
15 And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that we knew it, and that God had dispelled their counsel, we all returned to the wall, every man to his work.
16 And it came to pass, from that day, that half of my servants labored in the work, and half of them had spears, shields, bows, and breastplates; and the leaders were behind all the house of Judah.
17 Those who built the wall, those who carried the burdens and those who carried them, each with one hand did the work, and the other with the arms.
18 And the builders each had his girded sword by his loins, and they builded; and the one who blew the trumpet was with me.
19 And I said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and unto the remnant of the people, Great and extensive is the work, and we are far from the wall, far from one another.
20 Where ye shall hear the sound of the horn, there shall ye be gathered together with us; our God will fight for us.
21 So we worked in the work; and half of them had spears from the rising of the dawn to the rising of the stars.
22 And at that time said unto the people, Let every man with his servant abide in Jerusalem, that they may be a guard unto us by night, and by day by work.
23 Neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard that followed me, let go of our garments; each had their weapons and water.
NEH 6: 1-19
Enemies plot to surprise and intimidate Nehemiah
1 And it came to pass, when Sanballat, and Tobias, and Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies, that I had built the wall, that there was no breach in it, though I had not yet set the doors in the gates,
2 And Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, Come and let us gather together in the villages in the valley of Ono. But they meant to hurt me.
3 And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I do a great work, that I cannot come down; Why should this work cease as long as I leave it and come to you?
4 And they sent to me likewise four times; and I answered them in the same way.
5 Then Sanballat for the fifth time sent his servant to me with an open letter in his hand;
6 And it was written, It was heard among the Gentiles, and Gesem saith, Thou with the Jews intent to rebel, then build the wall; and thou shalt make them king over them according to these words;
7 And that thou hast set prophets to preach from thee to Jerusalem, saying, This is king in Judah; So the king will hear him according to these words. come now, and let us consult together.
8 But I commanded him to say, Of all that thou sayest nothing came to pass; but you invent it from your heart.
9 For they all sought to frighten us, saying, Their hands will let go of the work, and it shall not be done. Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.
10 And when I came into the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, the son of Meetabel, which was shut up, he said, Let us go into the house of God into the midst of the temple, and shut the doors of the temple; because they will come to kill you; yes, in the night they will come to kill you.
11 But I said, Would a man like me flee? And who, like me, enters the temple to live? No way will I come in.
12 And I realized that it was not God who sent him; but this prophecy spoke against me, because Tobias and Sanballat bribed him.
13 For this they bribed him, to frighten me, and to do so, and to sin, that they might have cause to reproach me, and so to reproach me.
14 Remember, my God, Tobias and Sanballat according to their works, and also the prophetess Noadia, and the most prophets that sought to frighten me.
15 And the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month of Elul; in fifty-two days.
16 And it came to pass, when all our enemies heard it, that all the peoples that were around us feared, and were very low in their own eyes; because they recognized that our God had done this work.
17 Also in those days some nobles of Judah wrote many letters to Tobiah; and Tobias's letters came to them.
18 For many in Judah were sworn to him, because he was the son in law of Shecaniah the son of Arah; And his son Johanan had married the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah.
19 His good deeds also counted before me, and my words spoke to him. so Tobias wrote letters to frighten me.
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